After such a routine victory, it’d be unsurprising if Lionel Richie’s ‘Easy’ could be heard from the Spurs dressing room.
It was a performance to add fuel to the fire of Nuno’s detractors, but blaming the manager for all our shortcomings is a far too simplistic.
Even his most ardent of critics will agree that he is a man with a clear idea of how he wants his teams to play, and I just don’t believe that some of the ‘solutions’ we saw today are part of his vision for the club.
We can debate the merits of a back four until we are all blue in the face, but surely the club has never viewed Coady and Saiss as the partnership to build that system around?
The skipper certainly did himself no harm (though his MOTM award was a tad generous) but the defence was all at sea once again as they failed to ever get to grips with Spurs’ four-pronged attack.
Their second goal was as clear an indication as you need that our current defenders simply aren’t good enough to make the formation change work, and nobody’s fantasy football musings will change my mind on that one.
In midfield it was no better, with a listless display making it all too easy for Alli to pull the strings. This, along with centre half, has to be the focus of our attention when it comes to summer recruitment.
Dendoncker, Moutinho and Neves have all been excellent players for us and will hopefully still have a part to play in our future. But none have done enough over the course of the season to suggest that quality upgrades aren’t required.
With Neto and Jimenez to return, things aren’t necessarily as bleak up top. Especially if we can manage to tie the buccaneering Adama down to a new deal.
But there’s no hiding from the fact that we have a pivotal summer ahead and that our recruitment has to better if we’re going to start making progress again.
Unfortunately, we know that Nuno isn’t the one that pulls the strings in that department so we will have to hope that the seemingly omnipresent Uncle Jorge comes up with the goods.
Failure to do so could leave us all needing to get used to this sort of performance.
You’re certainly right about the summer mate. The recruitment in response to this season will tell us everything about what the owners want to do.
A lot of the players just aren’t good enough for this level, but we knew that before the game kicked off, so no reason to labour the point.
What a difference a class striker makes and oh how I was pining for Raul yesterday.
We got into so many good positions where we just needed a smart run or a cuter finish but they just don’t have it in them. The prime example was that neat play between Gibbs-White and Traore that Fabio inexplicably scuffed.
It’s an extreme comparison because Harry Kane must be in the top 5 best in the world, but he showed what we’re missing. Were it not for the post and world-class Patricio save, he’d have been walking home with the match ball. Even his goal, which he made look easy, would not have been scored by any of the players in a maroon shirt.
I don’t think Spurs are very good beyond that front four and a team with cutting edge would have hurt them yesterday with the positions Wolves occupied.
Knowing that there’s the possibility of getting Raul back next season and him being anything like the player he was before is reassuring, but far from a done deal. You mention Neto in the report Ben, but when will he be back from that injury? And how long will it take him to hit top speed? I’ve also got an impending sense of doom about Traore leaving when at present, he’s the only player capable of carrying the fight to the opposition.
Both goals were horrendous from a Wolves perspective with a straight ball through the middle for the first and then Hoever getting done on the touchline for the second.
But as much as everyone is lamenting our shortcomings at the back, I trust Nuno to create a better defensive unit next season, regardless of personnel. The focus must be on getting more firepower because we won’t do any better than scraping by unless we can start inflicting some pain of our own.
Is it possible, just possible, that Nuno is taking the piss?
Think about it.
He is head coach, not manager, and since Thelwell and Dalrymple left, how much say has he had in player recruitment?
Can we honestly believe he decided Silva, Marcal, Semedo, Vitinha, Jose Ait Nouri etc. were good enough to improve our team?
Was he happy to see Jota and Doherty go?
Is he playing the aforementioned to spite Jeff, and Mendes, and keeping the likes of Kilman and Otasawi away from the team to prove a point?
Its as good a theory as any other.
Any decent squad needs two interchangeable players for each position.
On the assumption that Raul, Pedro and Jony come back as good as before, on yesterdays showing, we need to buy at least 18 new players.
Deck chairs with German towels on them, flip flops, sun tan lotion, buckets and spades, all scattered about North London in abundance, as both teams appeared to be on their respective beaches.
Spurs were crap, there for the taking, as Traore proved but once or twice., which shows how crap we were.
Another disgraceful non show, which could have been a cricket score.
Coady, man of the match?
Garbage.
Pure luck the ping pong ball struck him twice in as many seconds in one mind numbing excuse for defensive play.
Sad to see professional, highly paid sportsmen lethargically go through the motions, not giving a shit to their performance nor their employer or fans .
WAKE UP WANDERERS, WE DON’T WANT ANOTHER FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS.
Your conspiracy theory could make sense like putting your arm in the oven and then doing it again to make sure it’s still going to burn.
Then do it again just to make sure.
Nuno ‘s got some bottle if he’s trying to make a point..
If it’s a wrong theory then what.?
You ,Brompton,Stu Wolf and I have seen the pits with a shed load of others here so are we expecting another top 7 position nxt year with all the cash we’ve got to buy players?
Steve. Yes I am expecting another top 7 finish next season. Nuno now has to drive us forward and hopefully he gets the financial backing to do that. If he does not get the financial support he should consider leaving. If he gets the support and fails to deliver then his leaving should be considered. For me next season is his most important.
Yes a pretty par for the course error strewn performance that was. Young players do get better with more game time but they need to be playing in a side with a few more top quality players than we had yesterday. It was depressingly obvious that unless Traore got it we offered nothing at all.
Coady was excellent but got caught for Kane’s opener. Bit of a crossroads for Nuno and this Wolves team. You feel it could go either way. Glory or gloom next season.
The next two games are hopefully where the back four will be further bedded in. I was baffled yesterday though by Nuno’s thinking. He’s getting a new way of playing bedded in but leaves Kilman out of the team for Saiss. Then Ait Nouri is left out for Samedo?
Maybe he’s seeing what’s the best fit or just trying to get more game time for all of the players. Gary Neville was pretty scathing in commentary about Silva. I don’t think that was called for but Silva badly needs to get composure in front of goal. He could have had two, but hopefully he learns and improves, and works hard as Nuno repeats time and again. Maybe he can make Mr Neville eat his words.
You gotta have hope, Raul’s return, Neto’s return, not until October I’ve read. Also Jonny, then at least two players of big quality bought in, a few of the youngsters coming good. Then it could be a return to challenging for honours, Europe and the FA Cup.
All Wolves fan will be hoping things are being sorted out behind the scenes to make it happen.
I think the criticism of Silva was entirely justified. The bald fact is that the guy may have potential, but this may or may not come to fruition. Who knows !
But what we do know is that as of now he is nowhere near to being a Premiership striker. If he were not Portuguese he`d probably be farmed out on loan to some team in the lower leagues to gain much need experience.
Having regard to our recruitment policy I can only say that if we are not very active in bringing in quality players in several key positions, then next season will be nothing more than a struggle to stay out of a relegation scrap.
For us ‘experience ‘ must be a key requirement To continue to rely on those with potential would be farcical. MGW is completely out of his depth,and to proceed to dish out millions to secure Vitinha, would surely be a huge mistake. The guy is at best very average.
Mr. Shi. Time to get your act together if the big Fosun plans for our Club are to stay on track
Clive, you’ve hit the nail on the head—there’s something bizarre about Nuno’s team selections recently. Blatant favoritism towards Moutinho and Fabio Silva, but unfair to Kilman, Semedo and Ait-Nouri. Those decisions lost us the match yesterday. What’s going on there I don’t know, but it needs to be sorted ASAP.
It’s dawning on me how blessed we were in the last two seasons and that we’re now just becoming another mid to lower Premier League club making up the numbers. Another Southampton, another Palace, the sort of team you switch over when you see they’re on the telly. We would have craved this five years ago of course, and I’m not necessarily even saying it’s a bad thing.
The point is, the last two years we went into these fixtures thinking we could win. We became used to taking on the so-called big sides and, while admittedly camping in and playing on the break, going toe to toe with them. We won this fixture in the last two seasons. We played ok in parts in the first half, but it never really felt like we had any chance of winning this one. Spurs didn’t have to get out of second gear and it was just another one of those games you drift off to sleep on the sofa watching and the bigger side cruises to victory and the lesser opposition is happy just to escape a hiding and focus on beating the sides around them to ensure they reach 40 points so they can do the same old slog again next season.
Traore was our one outlet but we didn’t get forward in enough numbers to support him when he broke forward. Coady was masterful, Rui did his usual mixed bag, Hoever was woefully exposed and MGW was impressive again at times, which is why it was puzzling to see him hooked for a deep-lying and shadow of his former self Neves when 2-0 down. Unless Morgan had a knock I really can’t explain it.
Well that was dross apart from Traore and coady Dendoncker and Mountiho my as well have not been on the pitch theease at witch Spurs just bypassed them. The defence was once again allover the place how Kilman can not get a game a head of Swiss is unbelievable Hoever needs put in the under 23s till he bulks up.Allen we need more than two quality players more like 3or 4or even 5 astride at least 1 or 2 CH and 1or 2 Midfielders and not the ones for the future experience quality players who will make a difference.
You’re possibly right but it’s finding them! They are hard to come by for mid-table premiership clubs. Maybe Sanderson, Corbenau, Otasowie, can step up next season. Or maybe another not yet in the limelight. Vitinha played like he’d been told he wasn’t being signed yesterday.I think Ait-Nouri has looked good recently and only Nuno knows what’s wrong with Kilman because I’d certainly be playing him next season.
Max Kilman
If I was Max I`d be doing my best to leave in the summer.
The manner in which he`s being treated by Nuno is very difficult to understand. Over and over again Saiss has shown that he is not, and never will be a Premiership standard Central defender, no matter what system we choose to play. Yet he has consistently been a part of a defense which is routinely picked apart by even the most modest attack, while Max sits on the bench
Against Brighton, Saiss was out and at long last Max given a chance. Most of us concluded that as usual he did well. But then against Spurs he`s out again, and the mistake riddled Saiss is back in. Just why is this?
It`s clear that for whatever reason Nuno does not rate him. Maybe it`s because he`s not Portuguese so how can he possibly be good enough !! So it must be in his best interest to leave. He`s 23 years old and at this time in his career he needs regular playing time.
My take is that given a decent chance by a Coach who believes in him, he could well develop into a very good and reliable central defender. That would be our loss. But why worry. After all Saiss has signed a contract extension. !!
‘It`s clear that for whatever reason Nuno does not rate him. Maybe it`s because he`s not Portuguese so how can he possibly be good enough !! ‘
Really ? Ruddy, Doherty, Douglas, Batth, Coady, Boly, Bonatini, Jimenez, Saiss, Traore, Dendoncker – none of whom are Portuguese and all of whom were ‘good enough’ to have long and steady runs in the team. I REALLY resent the implicit suggestion that Nuno, who has shown his loyalty to the City, might be nationalistic.
Hi Wolfman. No I don`t think Nunos`s nationalistic. In fact I see him as a very good and honorable man. But what I do think is that he has rose colored spectacles when it comes to his assessment of Portuguese players.
Do you really think that if Fabio Silva was named Joe Smith and came from Scunthorpe he would be getting the favored treatment that is now so obviously the case ? I don`t think so. Joe Smith would not have been signed for such a ridiculous massively inflated sum in the first place, but if signed he would long ago have been loaned out to a lower league side to gain essential experience, simply because presently he is no where near the standard required to play in a Premiership side.
Its also the case that the majority of our incoming transfers have been Portuguese. Every game more than half our team compromise Portuguese . I stand by my ‘Rose Colored glasses’ assessment.
By the way, I`d be interested to know if you personally believe that Saiss is a better option than Kilman ?
Good. I’m glad we’ve cleared that up. Re Fabio Silva, I’m sure Nuno didn’t want to be so dependent on him but circumstances dictated otherwise, as did José’s lack of form when introduced.
Kilman v Saiss ? I think Kilman is a good, solid promising defender who has barely put a foot wrong and, yes, I would happily play him. Saiss has a lot more experience and a better range of passing which may explain Nuno’s continuing faith in him.
Quite honestly, the score flattered us. Spurs could and should have had 4-5 goals. And yet, and yet, we missed clear-cut and well worked chances for the want of a decent finish. Traore looked the only player worth a place in the Spurs side. Tellingly I noted that Spurs stopped their strategy of fouling him. In a previous match I remember they took it in turns to take the yellow card to bring him down. My guess yesterday is they figured there was nobody in the middle capable of converting a Traore pass! Traore, in my opinion, is a class above any currently-fit Wolves forward by a country mile. Sadly, Silva seemed to reverse all his recent good progress; yesterday he looked an amateur.
Semedo has his detractors but the Sky TV team were impressed at how he got the better of Gareth Bale. They likened the duel to Barca versus Real Madrid.
Psychologically this Wolves team is brittle. Burnley and West Ham showed that. Even Brighton looked capable of doing a number on us. A team with world-class players like Spurs was always going to run away with it unless we really dug in and converted a chance or two on the break. Our only hope was lone wolf Traore, but he can’t do it all.
I can’t believe that team selection yesterday was anything other than damage limitation chosen from the poverty of options.
No point listing the under performers other than to say that since the baggies game Vitinha has slowly weakened his case for a permanent contract.
On the other hand MGW showed that surrounded by battle hardened colleagues he could be a real acquisition.
Although a return to a back five looks temptingly reassuring. Whichever route is chosen I’m sure none of us under estimates the scale of overhaul required, both in terms of personnel and tactical bedding in.
As if to confirm that no assumptions can be made regarding who should stay and who needs replacing, the image of Ryan Mason standing on the touchline haunted me and urged me to a silent prayer for the safe and total recuperation of our talismanic centre-forward.
This is going to be a tough, tough summer of transfers and training.
No surprises really. We’re quite literally limping to the finishing line. Nuno could have made us harder to beat by reverting to a back three but what would have been the point?
Silva according to many fellow bloggers swings weekly from being a potential world-beater to a car crash. The truth as usual is somewhere in between.
Some Individual performances showed signs of promise. Samedo did a decent job on Bale for the most part. Hoever despite an individual error still looks decent and in a balanced more settled team MGW still might have a future as our long term number 10.
Coady wasn’t lucky to be struck by the ball Clive, he’d put himself in those positions to get struck so in my book deserved his MOTM. As for the first goal, as he was doing so many different jobs I’ll forgive him that error. And don’t tell me he doesn’t care!
Traore remains an absolute force of nature. I’ll be devastated if he goes.
All in all it’s a time to try out fringe players and not get too excited by results.
One last word on performances. We don’t have a clue what the injury situations are with individual players. Podence has been written off over the last few weeks only for us to find out he’s needed an op. It’s time to cut Nuno and the team some slack. let him use the last two games to experiment and look forward to next season.
That’s far too much common sense for just one comment. Leave some for the rest of us mate.
I’ve been a critic of what Semedo brings to the team but I thought he had a solid game defensively yesterday. I’ve also been supportive of Silva as a young kid but yesterday he was very poor and there was zero insight into why we thought he was worth 35m? The thing is that if Nuno didn’t agree with some of our signings why is he still here? Equally puzzling is that Fosun are an investment group so surely they will be having some serious conversations with mendes as to what exactly last summer’s investment has yielded in value? Get it wrong again this summer and we are in a relegation battle. The older generation of players will be a year further along the waning curve and the younger players will still not be fit for purpose with peak age for breaking into a pl team being c. 22 to 23.
Great analysis Sutton Coldfield. This summer`s transfer efforts surely must be totally redirected from what has gone before.
The prospect of more “Great Potential ” young players being signed fills me with dread. Another bout of stupidity this time around could well mean we`ll be in for a dire time next season
Greetings Wanderers,
On a generally dismal weekend for the Midlands it was pleasing to see Burnley getting stuffed. Should Adama be passing to young Silva? Possibly not. Were Tottingham comfortable? Double cushions and a footstool. If Coady hadn’t been in the way it could have been alot worse. Perhaps Jota will get fed up at Liverpool, what with Mane playing the Donna. Jimi, Neto & Jony return better than ever and, having cherry picked the descending Baggies, we have a team to suppport next season. One Love.
Yes, it was depressing how the defence was shredded leaving Rui exposed time and again. Nuno set the tone for these remaining dead fixtures when he commented on saving players for the forthcoming Euros. He will probably continue to shuffle his pack with the same depressing results in our final two games. We will just have to moan and bear it- Thomas hit all the right notes in his earlier post. Dances too mentioned the Spurs policy of not fouling Adama and thus not presenting us opportunities from set pieces – however, Tanganga benefitted from Atkinson’s light touch, three yellows were merited in my book. Keep the faith but I have an uncomfortable feeling that the only business we will do this summer will surround the loanees.
Saving players for the Euros. Never read that and can’t believe he said it either. What’s your source? Club managers will always put club first for the sake of their own employment!
Read on the Wolves website – Nuno said he was mindful of players commitments to International matches to come when selecting his teams for the remaining game. Perhaps another example of him putting players welfare first, he acknowledges they have played far too much football in the last 2 years.
Thanks, Woodend. As you mention, it’s putting players ‘ welfare first which is certainly very different from, ‘saving players for the forthcoming Euros’.
Very true Altior- bad choice of words in my earlier post!
Quite correctly recruitment is the issue of the moment – both past and future,
Yesterday was another no show by the “ones for the future” with Hoever, Vitinha, MGW and Silva all invisible or inept; then add in that the ones of the present (with some mitigation because of the fatigue of 2 years non stop football) seem to have hung up their boots with 4 games to go and you will get what we we saw – which was an unacceptable display of lethargy and lack of commitment.
Some of us on these columns have been pilloried for our criticism of recruitment over the last couple of years. Well I think the last few months justify that criticism. Our football club is being used as a cornerstone of the Mendes chess board designed to move players around Europe garnering multiple incremental commissions on sales AND purchases – spelling it out Doherty, Jota, Silva, Vinagre, Vitinha, Hoever, Ait-Noori, Campana, Semedo, Neto, Podence, Costa, Cavaleiro, Jordao, Marcal. To add fuel to the fire the rumour mill indicates the possible, maybe likely departures of Neves and Patricio this summer.
It is well past time to dramatically reduce our dependence on this recruitment policy whatever the incestuous relationship between Fosun and Gestitute. Failure to address it is likely to result in more of the same.
Agents make money by moving players around?
Who knew ?
Doesn’t mean you have to be dependent on one though. Open it up.
Interesing thoughts. This was a pre-season friendly in my eyes and a great experience of the young pretenders to be outwitted by top quality footballers of the stature of Harry Kane, Gareth Bale etc…You learn quickest by playing alongside and against the best so one hopes the experience of these last dregs of this exhausting season will bear fruit next season.
Had we had our outstanding clinical finisher up-front we could well have taken the lead given the chancees Fabio had in the first half.
I suspect in team selection Nuno needs to balance youth with experience, especially against the footballing intelligence of Kane, Bale and Son so perhaps that explains his choice of centre backs yesterday. We also don’t see on the TV the complete picture – especially when the producer decides shots of spectators or replays are more interesting than the live action. Do some get specific marking jobs to do? Certainly the defending from corners was much better than recently.
I try to ignore transfer speculation and just wait to hear what happens.
At least Nuno made sure Levy wasn’t immediately on the phone to Mendes chasing his signature.
Yet another desperately poor, turgid performance. Like so many other performances this season. And another perplexing team sheet to ponder.
Why no Kilman after the previous weeks solid performance? Semedo at left-back? I don’t think so. Traore in a deep lying role, with Silva pretty much on his own chasing shadows all afternoon. Doesn’t work.
Time to be a bit more ruthless I feel, with so many fringe players simply not equipped to take the club to a higher level. Not the usual reaction of ‘we must work harder, eradicate mistakes’ etc.
Spurs are not a team to be feared. They have a soft underbelly which we didn’t even try to expose with such a negative and cautious approach from the off.
Desperate and urgent need to come good next season, with some serious close season buying of players of proven quality.
Another season like this one and things might just be too far gone to retrieve. I hope not.
We were pretty poor yesterday, it’s true.
But it’s amazing how so many people can watch the same match and come to so many different conclusions on who played well and who was garbage.
Conor Coady has quite a few knockers on this blog, but was, in my opinion, immense.
It wasn’t him who got caught out for Spurs’ first goal, it was Hoever and possibly Semedo who played Kane onside. They should have been watching Coady like the Arsenal back line used to watch Tony Adams. Then all step up as one man.
Result? Kane offside.
We know that Conor isn’t the quickest over the green sward… but neither was Beckenbauer, or Bobby Moore, and they didn’t end up too bad.
And, he nearly got back to Kane. I don’t think many other strikers would have scored that goal. It was that clever touch that took it past Coady’s challenge so he could get the shot in.
Apart from him, I thought that MGW had a few touches that hinted at a decent player in there somewhere, and Rui once again proved himself shot stopper supreme but cross catcher under par, not bar. (See what I did there?)
Hoever is looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Not the efficient sweeper that his name suggests he might be.
I was impressed with Silva’s general work rate, especially in the first half, but his finishing was, once again decidedly ordinary. I still think that given time…
…Unfortunately, this is football. This is the Premier League. And time is a commodity not usually granted to players or managers.
Hopefully Nuno will be given time to sort us out and take us back to where we all want to be.
But sort it, he must.
Playing a team as good as Spurs who are chasing a European place was always going to be a tougher proposition than the last two games, and so it proved. Although I’m expecting similar against Everton on Wednesday, I hope Nuno continues to stick to his new formation and gives more game time to the younger players as it can only be a benefit for next season.
For me only Coady, Patricio and Traore had good games, the kids were a bit lost against better opposition and the experienced players continue to look like they’re running through treacle. So frustrating that the European Championships will deny some of these from having a proper break in the summer, still UEFA must have their money making tournament!
As mentioned countless times on this blog and others, the summer will be pivotal in terms of player ins and outs, and also how we set up as a team. I for one hope that Nuno will still be around to oversee it.
Valid point on the Euros Newt.
Our senior players have taken a lot of flak recently, with much justification, but we shouldn’t forget that our seasoned internationals have now been playing for about 3 years without a proper break (forget covid lockdowns are’t a break for anyone).
But we have to keep the tills ringing for UEFA and the broadcasters. You are in danger of killing your golden goose folks,
Why on earth they are going ahead is totally beyond me, as unless I’ve missed the headlines Covid hasn’t magically gone away. It doesn’t help that Wembley and Hamden are two of the venues, so all the gains we’ve made on the vaccination roll-out may well be compromised.
And don’t get me started on why the Champions League final between two English teams has been moved from Turkey to Portugal who still have a “situation of calamity” in effect until 30th May!
Yes. All of what’s been said.
Bring on the Blue Scousers.
The result was no surprise but what was a concern was the lack of effort and if we repeat that in the last two games we are going to get mullered.
We are safe but that doesn’t mean we switch off most of the squad are playing for there futures at Wolves apart from one or two but you wouldn’t know it on that performance and I’ll go as far as saying so is Nuno….its his job to motivate the team but again like Burnley there was nothing coming from the sidelines no passion just an exceptence and indifference where’s the encouragement and inspiration.
And my big concerns is finishing the season with three defeats and on a low point could spill over into next season.
If Nuno’s in charge next season the first ten games will be crucial if we are anywhere near the bottom after ten games and playing like we have against West Ham, Burnley and many other poor performances this season that will be proof enough we need a change of manager and direction.
Just a point about a certain Belguim midfielder who was invisable again against Spurs he should look at Leisceter’s Telimans a fellow countryman who scored the winner in the F.A Cup Final to see how to play in midfield how and why Nuno keeps picking him I don’t know.
I didn’t see a lack of effort.
Sure you were watching the right match?
Yes he was.
Yes I was were you listening to the commentators….? Because if you were you would have heard them same the same thing, phrases like ” on the bench ” ” playing like a team that’s safe” and ” no ergency about Wolves “
I try to think for myself Paul and not parrot what others say.
You might need to go to Specsavers still doing 2 for 1…….get down there quick if I was you.
If I was you…….Pretty Pollly…….Pretty Polly.
Looks close enough that they should have at least got their crayons out and drawn some lines.
Rough estimate.
Only offside if Neto at Anfield.
I must admit Tim, I thought exactly the same at the time. However, it would have been a travesty, just like many of ours have been a travesty since this abomination was introduced.
Fosun have a massive decision to make now, this squad has gone backwards, city want 2 world class players, u can’t sit still, our team is ageing, nuno don’t sack him, he has earned the right for next season, kids have got potential, but not yet, keep the faith, wolves aie we.
I think that the teams we’ve put out over the last few weeks have been far from ageing (Moutinho apart) as Patricio should now be at the peak age for a keeper. We’ve had many youngsters playing.
Not sure that I follow your comments, therefore, and to say that the kids have potential but not yet leaves me a touch confused.
If ageing means being on a downward trajectory from their peak then Saiss can probably be added to the list but that’s all. More to do with staleness and quality than age I’d say.
Want I mean is the team compared to the last 2 seasons has aged, these young players could make the step up but not yet, they all gained experience, mgw is a cm not rm, coady kneeds a quick cb alongside him, have a wonderful afternoon, wolves aie we.
A very good summary Thomas. Spurs were in total control of that game. Even if Fabio had taken his chances, I always felt that Spurs could go up another gear. Again we were poor in midfield and every combination Nuno has tried in recent weeks doesn’t work. We need players who are not gonna be knocked off the ball so easily. Personally I don’t want us to rely on bringing in more players from Portugal. We should be looking at the relegated clubs and those in the EFL to see who we can bring in.
It’s all been said. We need some new players for next season. This one cant end quick enough. Any way I am actually IN a pub. Having a few jars and will catch the Bournemouth v Brentford play off at 6pm. Whether I make it to Swansea v Barnsley at 8.15 is another question. And when will it ever stop raining. Honestly. The weather in the UK is just crap. But at least we are not outside in the rain anymore! I’m off this week so will be in the pub for Everton game as well on Wednesday. Wolves Ay We.
Sounds like the out of lockdown roadmap is well and truly being tested…
I’ll raise a glass with you Cheesey…..
Cheers Twix mate. How is it going with your daughter over in NZ. I reckon its gonna take a while for normality to resume on international travel and all that. I was thinking of doing Perth and Adelaide in the Ashes before Xmas but it’s coming in to the southern hemisphere winter now and possibilities of another spike. Could balls everything up again.
Oz and NZ are on our green list but we’re not on theirs .. at least NZ isn’t.
I spoke to Laura yesterday and she reckons that they’ll be opening the borders this year, perhaps after their winter .. so hopefully we’ll be going Jan/Feb…
Fingers crossed….
Cheers mate…
I’m going to email you tonight..
Enjoy your afternoon cheeseburger, we all have our views, have a beer on me anytime,wolves aie we.
Cheers old pal.
I don’t know how the pubs have managed without your custom Cheesey!
I bet it’s good to be back, sat in your usual corner. Have you got a chair with your name on it?
When the PMDG’er was but a stripling, she worked evenings in ‘The Ring’o’bells’ an olde country pub in a village just outside Bath. All the regulars had their mugs and their chairs.
Woe betide any poor bugger who sat in a place designated for a ‘local’.
Cheers mate! Enjoy your pint.
Yes great to be back mate! 196 days of no pub. I can imagine it is on a par with being let out of prison. It is no coincidence I have booked some leave this week. There are pubs in Gornal where regulars have their ‘own’ seat. I remember when I used to work over Smethwick. A couple of the lads from over that way went for a drink in Gornal and this is how they described the ‘welcome’ : ” Yo ay from round ere am ya? Well yo con drink up and f**k off” . Not a good intervention for Dudley-Sandwell relations! Cheers Doog!
Cheeseburger where u from if u don’t mind me asking
Gornal mate. Me mom and dad born and bred in Upper Gornal. I was born on the Straits Estate Lower Gornal. Now live up by the Milking Bank sort of just about half way between Lower Gornal Upper Gornal and Dudley.
Small world lived in pensnett most off my life I’m 52 now do u remember the forge pub in gornal
Yeah The Forge. Was never ‘Pensnett ‘ though. Was sort of lower ‘ Lower Gornal. Happy to discuss!
Looks like Brentford gonna fuck it up again like they did last season and got Sandwell Town promoted.
Forge was Bathams?
No idea mate. It was just a very popular boozer back in the 80’s . Restaurant type thing now.
I remember the name from somewhere in the foggy end of my brain. Too much beer over too many years!
Yeah. Know the feeling our kid.
I think it was, Prawny. I recall that it was one of the original ‘Bathams Eight ‘ which was the requisite tour of many a stag do and it was obligatory to have at least a pint in every one before returning to Wolvo for a well earned curry at Moghuls Tandoori.
Ah Moghuls. My first ever curry.
Forge was gornal anyone remember Brewster opposite the sell I know we going a bit off topic
Bathams pubs were in brierley hill good pub crawl happy days
There was a Bathams in Kinver, Robert Plant would come in for a pint or two on occaisions. 1980 / 81.
Still there (Plough and Harrow)Rasta. Others in the eight were Hare and Hounds at Kiddy; Lamp, Dudley; brewery tap, Bull & Bladder (real name Vine); Royal Exchange, Stourbridge; Plough, Shenstone near Kiddy and Swan at Chaddersley Corbett.
we looked so Spursy it was somewhat depressing….but we could STILL get to 50 points
but a bit doubtful now
meantime readying to pay out losing bets to Villa & Gunners mates,,,that will hurt
Not sure where we go next as still don;t expect a fully recovered Raul back in the side and if Traore buggers off then we ‘re left waiting on Neto’s Kneecap…..hmmmm
and I’ve given up on the young prince….he’s no Mason Greenwood and won’t be
Ah well, here’s hoping one of Barnsley or Brentford come up as they would be an interesting addition …in the way Leeds have been
Wish I could see some light coming…
Re. transfers. What footballer who can tie his own shoelaces will want to join us ? Footballers are not only obsessed with money .They,like the rest of us, want to enjoy what they do. For many months we have been the worst side to watch in Europe. Why would any player choose to come to us if he has options else where ? The body language of the players is awful. They’ve had the life sucked out of them playing the way they;ve been told to. In footballing terms the players have lost the will to live. Only two are “at it”. Coady and Traore. Coady because he;s Coady and Traore because he is desperate to leave.
Fuckin Smethwick twat. Enjoy Lincoln City away on a wet Tuesday in November.
Taz all been said. Nothing to add.
Changing tack slightly, the narrow defeat of the under 23s in the pl2 play off yesterday was quite sobering. Commendably fosun has made much of its investment in youth. My question is from a first team playing perspective as opposed to club finances where/ when do you think we will see the benefit? Fosun have been in situ 5 years so some of our early youth signings I.e 16/17 year olds are now in their early 20s. Kilman has broken through but with limited playing time. MGW was already here. Goncalves has established himself as a top flight player in Portugal but barely kicked a ball for us and Sanderson/Giles/Roman have got good reports at league one level or equivalent. Not exactly what you would call a conveyor belt of talent or am I being too harsh?
It’s one thing playing well against already relegated Tescos. It’s another playing Spurs who are needing points for a Euro push.
Our kids have been thrown in at the deep end and many seemed out of their depth in this one. However, if you’re trying to learn how to swim, or even find out if you can swim at all, then it’s best when mid-table mediocrity has reduced the pressure somewhat. Whatever happens in these last two games, nothing much will change regarding the season overall. And to be honest, apart from Max Kilman, whose omission remains a mystery to many of us, it’s difficult to see we have many options. Ask any fan pre-season and Raul, Neto, Jonny and Willy B would be considered the cream of our squad. Add Podence to that list of absentees and it’s obvious we will struggle against the stronger teams in the league.
So, quite rightly, many called for the kids to be blooded ’cause there’s nothing to lose and it will boost their development. Many also applauded the introduction of 4 at the back as the way ahead, though personally, apart from Boly, I don’t think we’ve got the personnel to play it successfully at the moment.
What I’m saying is, Nuno’s hand has been forced by circumstance and I’m sure he wouldn’t have chosen to throw so many youngsters into the fray all together. But these kids, and Nuno, need and deserve our support more than ever now. It’s too easy to throw your toys out of the pram and say they’re all useless because they couldn’t match a Spurs team fighting for Europe. Those same kids had done OK in previous weeks and they’ll get more loyalty from me.
This summer will show us a lot about where we go from here but frankly, I’ve seen nothing yet which indicates Fosun won’t do what’s necessary to turn us around once more.